


The Only Good Thing About This Class

by rainsoakedshoes



Series: Art Student Scerek [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Artist Derek, Artist Scott, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-20 09:44:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3645672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainsoakedshoes/pseuds/rainsoakedshoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Are you okay?” A voice from across the table asked. </p><p>Derek looked up to see a man with pair of warm brown eyes watching him with concern. </p><p>“Yeah,” Derek nodded. “Fine.” </p><p>The young man cracked a smile. “Are you sure? You’re getting blood all over your print.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Only Good Thing About This Class

**Author's Note:**

> a fic inspired by a prompt from [this](http://heavenlyhale.tumblr.com/post/114982760132/tofixtheshadows-college-aus-are-cool-but-you) list
> 
> I haven't written anything Scerek in a long time, so i thought it'd be nice to write a cute, dumb first meeting.
> 
> also i have no idea if printmaking would be a required class for Fine Arts, but let's just pretend it is for Derek.

Derek slammed down the small gouge he was using and let out a frustrated sigh.

He hated printmaking. No. Hate isn’t a strong enough word. He despised it. _Loathed_ it.

Usually Derek’s hands were incredibly steady. He was an accomplished painter using both oils and acrylics. He had mastered the use of charcoal. Even monotyping he’d gotten the hang of. But _linocuts_ had been the thing to defeat him.

At this point he could probably sketch his design with his eyes closed, but every time he tried to carve out the linoleum his chisel slipped.

 _Gouge_ he could hear his instructor correcting. _When the blade is curved or angled it’s a gouge_.

Derek picked the small tool up again. He had only slipped a little, he might be able to fix his mistake so no one would notice.

Across the table someone sat down opposite, dumping their backpack down onto the table top, but Derek didn’t pay any attention to them. He had to focus on the task at hand. He was going to get it right if it killed him.

Derek used his left hand to hold the linoleum sheet flat, and started to carve again, holding the gouge in his right hand.

Unfortunately Derek’s hand slipped again. This time however the sharp blade of the gouge caught Derek’s left hand; slicing the flesh between his thumb and pointer finger.

“Mother _fucker_ ,” Derek exclaimed. He dropped the gouge and grabbed his injured hand. There was already a decent amount of blood.

“Are you okay?” A voice from across the table asked.

Derek looked up to see a man with pair of warm brown eyes watching him with concern.

“Yeah,” Derek nodded. “Fine.”

The young man cracked a smile. “Are you sure? You’re getting blood all over your print.”

Derek glanced down again. The other man was right; blood was staining the linoleum, turning his half carved wolf red.

“I’ve been better,” Derek revised.

The man’s smiled widened and he stood up. He was wearing a floral print snapback, and Derek noticed two black tattoo bands around his bicep. He walked around the table and sat in the seat beside Derek.

With an air of confidence the man took Derek’s hand and started to inspect the wound.

“I’m Scott by the way. I know we’ve never spoken before.”

“Derek.”

Derek had seen Scott around campus, and obviously in the class that they shared. But Scott was right, they’d never gotten the chance to speak before.

Scott dropped Derek’s hand again and reached across the table for his backpack.

“What are you doing?” Derek asked.

“You’re going to need to take care of that,” Scott said, nodding at Derek’s hand. “I thought I’d help. Come on. We need water to clean up the blood.”

“You don’t have to,” Derek started, but Scott was already pulling him out of his chair. Derek grabbed his ruined linoleum sheet as they stood.

“You _really_ don’t have to,” Derek tried again when Scott pulled him over to the sink in the corner of the room. “I’m fine.” He dropped the sheet of ruined linoleum in the trash as they passed by.

“I want to,” Scott said. “Besides, you could probably use a short break. Judging from the look on your face earlier you looked like you were ready to jam that chisel in someone’s eye.”

“Gouge,” Derek corrected automatically.

Scott laughed. “Gouge, right. Morell has been very persistent about correct terminology, hasn’t she?”

Derek made a small noise of agreement.

Scott opened his backpack and pulled out a small first aid kit.

“You carry a first aid kit around with you?” Derek asked, raising an eyebrow.

“In case of emergencies,” Scott said with a shrug.

“Were you in the Boy Scouts?” Derek tried to make it sound teasing and light, but to his ears it sounded judgemental and he internally cringed.

Scott’s smile never faltered. “No. My best friend and I just happen to be a little accident prone.”

Scott ripped off some paper towel from the dispenser by the sink, and wet it. Derek offered him his hand again before Scott had to ask. Scott was careful not to hurt Derek as he cleaned the blood off his hand.

“You’re lucky it’s not too deep,” Scott told him. “You won’t need stitches.” There was a lot of blood, but the wound was mostly superficial.

“Damn,” Derek said. “I was hoping if I did enough damage I might be able to get out of this class. Or at least give up on that stupid linocut.”

“I like your design,” Scott said.

“You do?” Derek asked.

“Yeah,” Scott nodded. “And I liked the monotype you did. You’re really talented.”

“Tell that to the six sheets of linoleum I’ve ruined already.” Derek could feel his cheeks heating up and played it off as a joke. “Actually make that seven now.”

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Scott assured him.

“Thanks,” Derek mumbled. Part of him wanted to return Scott’s compliment, but he hadn’t seen any of Scott’s work, and he didn’t want to lie to him.

Derek was also a little surprised that he hadn’t noticed Scott noticing him. Although Derek spent most of the printmaking class ignoring everyone and anything that wasn’t his own work. He wasn’t particularly social in classes that he liked, so he was even more shut off in one he hated.

Scott changed the subject. “If you hate the class so much why are you taking it?”

“I’m a fine arts major,” Derek shrugged, careful not to move his hand. “And I didn’t think I’d be so bad at this. Why are you taking printmaking?”

“It’s an elective for me,” Scott explained. “I’m doing a graphic design course. Most of what we do now is on computers, but I thought it might be interesting to try my hand at old school printing techniques.”

“And?” Derek prompted.

“And it certainly hasn’t been boring,” Scott said, looking from Derek’s injured hand to his face.

“I’m glad I could provide some entertainment,” Derek deadpanned.

“I only laughed when I knew you didn’t have a missing body parts or weren’t going to pass out,” Scott said.

“I don’t faint at the sight of blood,” Derek told him. He looked down at his now clean hand. Even though the cut wasn’t deep enough to warrant stitches he’d probably end up with a scar.

Scott had finished drying off Derek’s hand, and he fished a couple of band aids out of his first aid kit. He let go of Derek’s hand so he could open them. Derek didn’t argue, or try to tell Scott that he could do it himself since the bleeding had almost stopped.

Once Derek’s hand was all clean and bandaged up Scott didn’t let go right away.

Derek looked over Scott’s shoulder at the classroom. Everyone was absorbed in their own projects, Ms Morell was bent over one students table offering advice. No one was paying attention to Scott and Derek in their corner.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Derek asked. “Maybe go get a coffee or something?”

Scott nodded. “Sure.”

The two of them stopped by the table they had been sitting at so Derek could grab his bag. Then they left the room together.

Derek was smiling almost as brightly as Scott, and Scott still hadn’t let go of Derek’s hand.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on [tumblr](http://heavenlyhale.tumblr.com/) where im usually crying about Derek Hale


End file.
